Puzzle toy.



A. L. POOLER.

PUZZLE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1912.

1,033,6 1 6. Patented July 23, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOR AI'Fr-ed L. Poo ler Q By M M 7 mm ALFRED LEONARD POOLER, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

PUZZLE TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed May 3, 1912. Serial No. 694,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. POOLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Puzzle Toy, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to puzzles or figure toys, and has particular reference to an amusement device of this character which is intended to simulate some familiar animal or person in its movement.

Among the objects of the invention is to produce a device of this nature which, as a toy, comprehends a movable figure adapted to cause amusement or merriment because of the fantastic positions which it may assume, and as a puzzle the device constitutes a means of exciting a great amount of curiosity in attempting to change the figure from one extreme position to another.

The device consists of the mechanism hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a view, in elevation, of a preferred form of the invention in its folded or nested posit-ion; Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing progressive steps in the unfolding of the device or solution of the puzzle; Fig. 4 is a view of the figure extended or in erect position; and Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the base member of the toy.

The device shown consists of a figure toy made to represent a human being whose upper and lower limbs are pivoted to the body and whose feet are pivoted in spaced relation to each other to the opposite ends of a base member. One essential characteristic of the jointed figure is that all the distances between adjacent joints thereof are equal.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the device comprises a base 10 which may be formed of sheet metal having an upwardly extending flange 10 along one edge and a lug 10 at one end and sufficiently spaced from the flange to provide a space in which all of the parts except one foot are nested when the device is folded. Said base constitutes a means for fixing the distance or space between the feet.

The upper arms 11 and 12 are shown pivoted on the same pivot 13, The fore-arm 11 is pivoted at the knee joint 14 of the left leg 15, the thigh of which, as well as of the right leg 16, is pivoted on the same pivot at 17. In other words, the thighs 15 and 16 are loosely pivoted to the body and at the knees l4 and 18. The right fore-arm 12, however, is formed integrally with the right lower leg 16 so that said fore-arm 12 always has a fixed position relative to the right lower leg 16 and a pivot 19.

One member, indicated as the right upper arm, is designated in any suitable way as the pull member, which fact increases the difficulty and amusement incident to manipulating the device, for when an attempt is made to open the figure from the position shown in Fig. 1, by pulling upon the member 12, the effort will be resisted by the fact that the said pull member is pivoted at 20 to the upper end of the member constituting the right fore-arm and the right lower leg and the further fact that the joints of the other parts, being equidistant, will form an interlock. In other words, the first movement required to open the device is to grasp the left knee at the pivot 14:, swinging it around the pivot 19, as indicated in Fig. 2, rathcr than to pull upon the pull member. After the first operation, as indicated, the member 12 may then be pulled readily upward to the position shown in Fig. 3 at which time the head may be thrust to the right between the upper arm 12 and the forearm 12. The figure may then be drawn up to the erect position shown in Fig. 4:. In folding, the foregoing operations will be reversed. The solution of the puzzle affords a great deal of amusement, but when once understood it is a matter of simplicity.

The device may be made of any suitable material, preferably sheet metal, whereby the parts may be readily connected by per manent pivots, and the relative sizes and proportions may be varied to considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a puzzle toy, the combination with a rigid base member, of a jointed figure made to represent a human being and comprising the following members :a body, upper arms pivoted to the body on a single pivot, fore-arms pivoted to the upper arms, thighs pivoted to the body and to the fore? arms, and feet pivoted to the aforesaid base member, one forearm being formed as an integral part or extension of one lower leg.

2. In a figure toy, the combination of a base member and a jointed figure pivotally connected to the opposite ends of said base member and adapted to be folded or nested Within the same, said figure comprising a body and upper and lower limbs, the distances between adj acentjoints of which figure are equal, and one fore-arm being integral With the adjacent lower leg, substan' tially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

